Trees & woodland lore · Western North Carolina field companion
Cucumbertree magnolia
Magnolia acuminata
Whole tree — Magnolia acuminata. Species reference; the photographed specimen does not confirm the named variety. Age, pruning, and site affect its shape.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeKATHERINE WAGNER-REISS ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.
Problems to recognize in WNC gardens. These are documented susceptibilities, not a local outbreak report or a diagnosis. Weather, elevation and growing conditions change the risk.
Diseases & similar-looking injury
Leaf spots and occasional cankers may occur. Early-flowering magnolias can lose blooms to frost without having a disease.
Insects to recognize
Magnolia scale is a key insect to recognize: attached bumps on twigs, sticky honeydew and black sooty mold.
When to look
Check twigs and sticky foliage during the growing season; assess flower damage after late frosts.
A useful first step
Identify scale before choosing control timing. Compare normal seasonal leaf shedding with persistent leaf loss or branch dieback.
More growing details
Read the leaves
Large simple leaves taper to a point; they have no lobes and feel less leathery than evergreen magnolia leaves.
Read the bark
Older trunks develop gray-brown ridges and furrows.
Fruit & seed
Green cucumber-like aggregates become red as they mature, revealing red seeds.
Winter character
Large terminal buds and ring-like stipule scars on twigs support magnolia identification.
Origin & place
The species occurs naturally in the southern Appalachian region; a planted specimen is not evidence of wild local origin.
WNC Notes
Large native magnolia for parks and expansive landscapes; not a small-yard ornamental.
Sun Exposure
Full sun–part shade
MATURE HEIGHT (FT)
50–80
MATURE WIDTH (FT)
35–60
BLOOM SEASON
Late spring
BLOOM COLOR
Greenish yellow
FALL / WINTER COLOR
Yellow
Wet-Soil Tolerance
Moderate
Drought Tolerance
Moderate
LOOK CLOSELY
Two views, a closer look.
Place two photographs beside one another. Compare the overall plant with leaves, flowers, or bark when those views are available. Captions identify what each photograph actually shows. Images are not at the same scale; species references may show different cultivars.
Whole tree — Magnolia acuminata. Species reference; the photographed specimen does not confirm the named variety. Age, pruning, and site affect its shape.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeKATHERINE WAGNER-REISS ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.Leaves. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeLiné1 ↗ · CC BY-SA 3.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.Fruits forming — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadePlant Image Library ↗ · CC-BY-SA 2.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.
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